Editorial: Protect local waters from rain runoff

Published: Thursday, August 14, 2014 at 04:20 PM.

If your backyard looks more like a swamp than a lawn these days, join the club. We’re used to a lot of rain in the summertime — the typical forecast calls for hot and humid conditions with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

The problem now, of course, is that we’ve had so much rainfall in such a short period of time. So far, save sporadic flooding, the region is coping. Still, forecasters warn that as we move into the most active months of hurricane season, the saturated ground may not be able to absorb the type of rain that comes with tropical systems.

Heavy rains are bound to cause localized flooding even with the best stormwater management systems. But the effects are made worse by development that covers more of the region with concrete and buildings. As our area has grown, so has the amount of impervious surface.

That’s why it is important that cities and counties develop drainage requirements for new construction and, where financially feasible, undertake programs to better handle stormwater. As the area continues to grow it will become increasingly important for county and local governments to address drainage concerns to mitigate runoff that not only can cause floods but also foul rivers and creeks.

Runoff from heavy rains also threatens water quality in streams that serve as nurseries for shellfish and other marine life — another concern for people in this region.

Recently our representatives in Raleigh allowed industry representatives to “help” the Department of Environment and Natural Resources staff rewrite rules requiring buffers and other runoff management measures for new construction near tidal creeks and streams. The rewritten rules replace ones that took several years and a variety of regulators, environmentalists and developers to create.

While observers say the changes don’t appear to be dramatic — DENR staffers were not entirely happy with the original rules and wanted clearer, simpler guidelines — the bigger concern is how those changes were made. The process allowed a rewrite of rules that had been well thought out and the subject of much discussion. If allowed to persist, such a process could be a recipe for undoing regulations without having to deal with dissent or public input and is probably not the best way to protect our coastal waters.

If your backyard looks more like a swamp than a lawn these days, join the club. We’re used to a lot of rain in the summertime — the typical forecast calls for hot and humid conditions with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

The problem now, of course, is that we’ve had so much rainfall in such a short period of time. So far, save sporadic flooding, the region is coping. Still, forecasters warn that as we move into the most active months of hurricane season, the saturated ground may not be able to absorb the type of rain that comes with tropical systems.

Heavy rains are bound to cause localized flooding even with the best stormwater management systems. But the effects are made worse by development that covers more of the region with concrete and buildings. As our area has grown, so has the amount of impervious surface.

That’s why it is important that cities and counties develop drainage requirements for new construction and, where financially feasible, undertake programs to better handle stormwater. As the area continues to grow it will become increasingly important for county and local governments to address drainage concerns to mitigate runoff that not only can cause floods but also foul rivers and creeks.

Runoff from heavy rains also threatens water quality in streams that serve as nurseries for shellfish and other marine life — another concern for people in this region.

Recently our representatives in Raleigh allowed industry representatives to “help” the Department of Environment and Natural Resources staff rewrite rules requiring buffers and other runoff management measures for new construction near tidal creeks and streams. The rewritten rules replace ones that took several years and a variety of regulators, environmentalists and developers to create.

While observers say the changes don’t appear to be dramatic — DENR staffers were not entirely happy with the original rules and wanted clearer, simpler guidelines — the bigger concern is how those changes were made. The process allowed a rewrite of rules that had been well thought out and the subject of much discussion. If allowed to persist, such a process could be a recipe for undoing regulations without having to deal with dissent or public input and is probably not the best way to protect our coastal waters.

A version of this editorial first appeared in the Wilmington StarNews, a Halifax Media Group newspaper.